The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Pulmonaria plant, botanically known as Pulmonaria officinalis, marketed under the trade name Opal, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Ocupol.
The new Pulmonaria is a seedling from random open pollinations of various unidentified selections of Pulmonaria officinalis. The new Pulmonaria was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 1986 as a flowering plant in a controlled environment in Luddenden, Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The new Pulmonaria was selected on the basis of large light lavender flowers and attractive silver leaf spotting.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings and divisions taken at Bressingham, Diss, Norfolk, England, has shown that the unique features of this new Pulmonaria are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Ocupol have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, daylength, and fertility level without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Ocupolxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Ocupolxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Attractive and dense silvery leaf spotting.
2. Freely flowering.
3. Attractive and large light lavender flowers that open fully.
Compared to unidentified selections of the Pulmonaria officinalis and the Pulmonaria officinalis cultivar xe2x80x98Roy Davidsonxe2x80x99, not patented, plants of the new Pulmonaria have more silver leaf spotting, have larger flowers that open more fully, and lighter lavender flower color.